The CEO Next Door

Part 3

"So, are we going to talk about it? Or do you need another blank canvas and paint?" Harry asked that evening.

Draco had disappeared into his Atelier Room, without carrying any boxes, and spend the last few hours power painting human-sized canvases with the biggest brush he could find, finally throwing black paint at them with his hands.

He, the ground and the walls were now dirty from top to bottom, but that was how an Atelier had to look for Draco. This was his chaos space.

And well, while the paintings were ugly, he felt marginally better.

"I made dinner, and we still have that wine your mom gifted us," Harry said in the voice he used when he thought he had to be cautious with Draco. "This seems like the day for it."

Reluctantly Draco stripped out of his dirty clothes and took a shower, before putting on some of Harry's shorts and his big jumper and sat down at the table with crossed legs. Harry just kissed him on the cheek and put some food on his plate. Draco felt more of the knot in his chest loosen. He was here, with Harry, who loved him. Harry who didn't mind his antics and that he couldn't sit at the table like a normal person.

"So yes, it's him," Draco said finally when he'd had a few sips of wine. "He's still an arrogant ass, as you can see. And not the least bit sorry."

"From what you told me, he never even knew -"

Draco exhaled and pushed another spoon of Harry's perfect Chicken Curry into his mouth. It was Draco-adapted in spiciness, and he knew that Harry's own would burn his tongue.

He sighed. "True," he said. "But I was an impressionable young twenty-year-old and didn't understand that if he said he wanted a friends-with-benefits arrangement because he was aromantic - that's what he meant. I thought I could change his ways or something."

Harry bit his lips, but still, a smile stole itself into the corner of his mouth.

"Don't laugh at me," Draco said, and threw one of his slippers at Harry only to regret it when his feet got cold. "I know I was full of myself, okay? But he was damn cool and my closeted gay heart was far too impressed."

"I suspect, you never told your father about that particular amour."

"Oh no, can you imagine? Father worships the ground Tom walks on. I wonder - maybe I should have. It might have changed his perceptions of homosexuality somewhat. My mom told me recently that they bought a house in Singapore because Tom has an apartment there. My father is such a ridiculous man."

Harry nodded along.

"So? What do you want?" Harry asked. "He seems like the type of guy we'd enjoy in our bed. But I feel like that's up to you since you're then one with the conflicted feelings."

Draco sighed and looked at him. Sometimes he missed the days when Harry had fidgeted with his sleeves, too nervous around Draco to not stammer or spit out his drink. The vacant expression when Harry just stared at him like he couldn't believe his luck.

But then there was this complete calm Draco felt when he was with him now. This certainty that they were a team, and could talk about anything. And that Harry wasn't insecure in their relationship.

They weren't unused to a third person, or even a fourth, in their bed. Women or men or anything in between, since Harry was pansexual, and Draco was happy to watch sometimes.

He took Harry's hand over the table.

"I don't know," he said. "He's great fun in bed - although a total control freak. He also doesn't bottom." There was silence. "Unless that has changed in the last years, which would certainly be worth discovering. And he likes his stable, reliable arrangements."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Tom, he likes to plan his days. And he likes sex. As far as I remember he wants his sexual partners to be reliant. He might be possessive of a certain day or time. When I was twenty, I used to meet him on Monday and Friday night. But I knew he also slept with one girl from his fitness studio on Wednesdays and so on.

"He also never stays over. He sleeps alone, in his own bed. I think it's a vulnerability thing. He never lets his guard down around others. But he's happy the way he is. I never understood that - but I've had more exposure in the last few years."

"I know you had a long talk with Charlie about his romantic orientation." Harry grinned at him. "Draco, it's okay that you felt hurt when you had a crush on Riddle and were disappointed. It's okay, that you had to distance yourself. And you can take your time thinking about this. We won't do anything you aren't one-hundred per cent comfortable with."

Draco nodded. He cleaned up the kitchen that evening and then joined Harry in their new living room, curling up with a book. He liked this. Being able to talk about his feelings. Being sappy. He liked the hand which stroked his hair and the lips which kissed him just because - with no sexual intentions at all.

He liked Harry mumbling, "I love you," before he fell asleep just a pillow away.

Maybe he would be fine with Tom now. His emotional needs were met elsewhere.